Quote:
Originally Posted by weim55
Skip the cam. The risk of putting in a new flat tappet cam these days is too high. Junk cam cores, lifters and bad oil = flat lobes. More of that 4 out of 5 math. Don't be tempted. Yes you can take the risk but if you lose a new cam to flat lobes the engine is full of metal and now junk.
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I disagree completely. Yes there is a tiny chance of a new cam failure. If you use high quality cam and lifters and the right oil, it will be fine - just like it has been working for the past 100 years.
Here is what I would do:
Pull the engine and completely tear it down. Thoroughly clean it up.
Reused the stock crank, rods, and pistons. Glaze break the cylinder bores (a little lip at the top is fine - if it's not using oil now, it won't with new rings either). Install new cast rings on old pistons and new rod and main bearings.
Reuse old cam bearings, install new cam and lifters and timing set along with a new oil pump.
Now that you have the short block complete, add the Vortec top end "package".
Do a good job sealing everything up as you put it back together and now you have an engine with an extra ~100 HP and will be good for another 50K miles before it starts to use oil.